20 Facts About Lean manufacturing

Lean manufacturing is a production method aimed primarily at reducing times within the production system as well as response times from suppliers and to customers.

Just-in-time Lean manufacturing tries to match production to demand by only supplying goods which have been ordered and focuses on efficiency, productivity and reduction of "wastes" for the producer and supplier of goods.

Lean manufacturing adopts the just-in-time approach and additionally focuses on reducing cycle, flow and throughput times by further eliminating activities which do not add any value for the customer.

Lean manufacturing involves people who work outside of the manufacturing process, such as in marketing and customer service.

Lean manufacturing is particularly related to the operational model implemented in the post-war 1950s and 1960s by the Japanese automobile company Toyota called "The Toyota Way" or the Toyota Production System.

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Term "Lean manufacturing" was coined in 1988 by American businessman John Krafcik in his article "Triumph of the Lean manufacturing Production System", and defined in 1996 by American researchers James Womack and Daniel Jones to consist of five key principles: "Precisely specify value by specific product, identify the value stream for each product, make value flow without interruptions, let customer pull value from the producer, and pursue perfection.

Kiichiro Toyoda, founder of Toyota Motor Corporation, directed the engine casting work and discovered many problems in their Lean manufacturing, with wasted resources on repair of poor-quality castings.

Just-in-time Lean manufacturing was introduced in Australia in the 1950s by the British Motor Corporation at its Victoria Park plant in Sydney, from where the idea later migrated to Toyota.

At least some of audience's stirring had to do with a perceived clash between the new just-in-time regime and Lean manufacturing resource planning, a computer software-based system of Lean manufacturing planning and control which had become prominent in industry in the 1960s and 1970s.

The second book, reporting on what was billed as the First International Conference on just-in-time Lean manufacturing, includes case studies in three companies: Repco-Australia, IBM-UK, and 3M-UK.

Lean manufacturing is founded on the concept of continuous and incremental improvements on product and process while eliminating redundant activities.

Lean manufacturing can be focused on specific processes, or cover the entire supply chain.

Lean manufacturing principles have been successfully applied to various sectors and services, such as call centers and healthcare.

Lean manufacturing principles have applications to software development and maintenance as well as other sectors of information technology.

Lean manufacturing methods are applicable to the public sector, but most results have been achieved using a much more restricted range of techniques than lean provides.

In non-Lean manufacturing processes is still huge potential for optimization and efficiency increase.

Critics of Lean manufacturing argue that this management method has significant drawbacks, especially for the employees of companies operating under Lean manufacturing.

Common criticism of Lean manufacturing is that it fails to take in consideration the employee's safety and well-being.

Lean manufacturing is associated with an increased level of stress among employees, who have a small margin of error in their work environment which require perfection.

Finally, lean is criticized for lacking a standard methodology: "Lean manufacturing is more a culture than a method, and there is no standard lean production model.